Device for use in uncoupling drill steels



March 28, 1961 J, C, CUR-ns 2,976,943

DEVICE FOR USE IN UNCOUPLING DRILL STEELS Filed NOV. 13, 1957 FIG.

WWW 14 INVENTOR. JOHN C. CURTIS:

ATTORNEY.

DEVICE FOR USE IN UN CUPLING DRILL STEELS John C. Curtis, Newport, N.H., assigner to Joy ManufacturingCompany, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Fired Nov. 1s, 1957, ser. No. 696,250 6 claims. (ci. nsf-223) drilling the drill steel is relatively elongated and is made up of a series of vdrill steel sections detachably connected together by couplings. Y steel from a drilled hole considerable difficulty has here- On removal of the drill nited States atent tofore been encountered in releasing the couplings to disi connect the drill steel sections.'

The present invention resides in an improveddevice for use in uncoupling drill steels whereby the sections of an elongated sectional drill steel or the like may be readily and vquickly uncoupled. This is accomplished by connecting a coupling element of the drill 'steel to a stationary part of the rock drill so thatkan adjacent drill steel section may be rotated in a suitable manner to uncouple the joint. In accordance with the present invention the coupling is provided with-means having interlocking connection with k'an-element of the drill `steel centralizer yof the rock drill so that the coupling` element a coupling element of the d rlill steel is engaged withl ya part of a rock drill and thereby held against rotation" during turning of an adjacent drill steel section to re-` lease the joint. A further object is to provide an irnproved device for use in uncoupling rock drill steels of the drill steel centralizer of the rock drill for holding the couplingV element against rotation thereby to. enable yan adjacent drill steel section to be rotated` to uncouple the joints, Yet anoher object is to provide an improved Another object is to provide an improved means for use in -uncoupling la sectional drill steel wherein f 15 wherein `a coupling element is interlocked with an element coupling element `for' rock drill steels. Other objects` and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. l

in the accompanying drawing there arey shown for lpur-r poses of illustration one form and a modification which the inventionrmay assume in practice.

ln this drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side vView of'a .hammer rock drill of the guide frame mounted type with which,v the present invention is associated, showingthe drillingltool, sectional drillsteel and drill-steel centnalizen Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section takenthrougli the centralizer on line 2 .2 `of Fig. l, showin'gfthel Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line illustrating structural details.. v

The invention is associated with a hammer rock drill of a conventional design comprising a guide frame 1 along which a'hammer drilling tool 2 is guided for movement toward and from the face of the Work.` The drilling tool embodies la conventional pressure uid hammer motor 3 for percussvely actuating and rotating a drill steel 4. The drilling tool lias a usual chuck 5 for receiving the shank 6 of the drill steel and lugs 7 on the drill steel shankare adapted to have interlocking connection with an element of the' chuck for locking the vdrill steel shank within the chuck duringthe drilling operation. The drill steel is relatively elongated and carries a usual drill bit 8 for drilling relatively deep holes and comprises a sexies of drill steel sections 9 threaded at 10 `for threaded ene gagement with internally threaded coupling elements 11. Carried at the forwardgportion of the guide frarnefis conventional drill steel centralizer 12 for guiding the 'drill steel to center the drill bit during starting orv spottingrof a hole. f

Thedrill steel centralizer may assume various forms but herein, for illustrative purposes, comprises cooperating pivoted parts in the form of swingable 'guide arms 13 pivoted at 14 on the guide frame and each carrying 5--5 of riga,V

va semi-circular bearing or bushing portion 15 which,

to the arms by bolts 17 (Fig. 2).v The arms of the drill.

steel vcentralizer may be swung wide apart, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3, so that the hammer drilling tool 2 may ybe advanced along the'guide frame betweenthe .S p Y In Vthe kimproved device for use in uncoupling drill'y steels each coupling element 11 is transversely grooved Aor notched at 19- and the twosemi-circular halvesof the bushing of the drill steel centralizer have projections 20 Whichtinterlock with the coupling elementY for holding the latter against rotation. If desired, the bushing may be notched `and the cooperating llugs may beformed on: the coupling element 11. The drill steel shank 6, during v breaking of the joints o f the drill steel,is released from locking engagement with the lchuck of the drilling tool, as shown in Fig. l, lso that Whiletherear endof thev drill steel is lsupported within the chuck -it is free to be rotated. lWhen the'coupling element is so held against rotation a conventional pipe wrench or rother turningv tool 21 is lconnected to-'the adjacenty dnill steel sectionl so that thelatter may be rotated' touncouple thethreaded j Each coupling element'of thesectiousfof diill'. f v steel -is similarly notched for interlocking engagement ywith joint.

the drill steel centralizer. p

' In Figs.- 4 and,` 5 la modified; interlocking corniectionl between a couplingr element and the centralizer bushing. vis disclosed. `Inthis construction the coupling element is I externally of lpolygonal.. desirably of hexagonal shape as at' 22 and semi-circular parts ofthefbushingcof operate to provide a hexagonal socket 23 for receiving the coupling element for'locking the latter againstrotation. 1 v

While the device Aas disclosed is used touncoupleV the joints of a sectional drill steel 'itlmay alsof serve toy couple the joints. Evidently the invention may be associated with tools of other types `and in lieu of a sectional drill steel other types of jointed rods may loe-employed. v

As a result of this invention an improved device for use in uncouplingdrill steels is'providedwhereby the sections of an elongated rockfdrillsteelor the like may be easily and quickly 'uncoupled By the provision of the interlocking connection between the Coupling element of a joint to be disconnected with a part of the rock drill such as the drill steel centralizer a coupling element may be readily held against rotation while the adjacent drill steel section may be rotated to release the joint. The device for use in uncoupling drill steels is relatively simple and rugged in des-ign and may be incorporated in a con ventional rock drill with a of change. Other advantages will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the While there are in this application specifically described `one form and a modification which the invention may as- .une in practice, it will be understood that this form and modification of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be further modiiied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim. asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a rock drill having a rframe which supports a drill steel centralizer member having open and closed positions which is closed during the starting of drilling to axially guide an elongated sectional drill steel the adjacent sections of which drill steel are joined together by coupling members, respectively, the improvement comprising, locking means on said centralizer member and cooperating locking means on said respective coupling membersto provide an interlockbetwecn the centralizer member and a selected one of said coupling members when said centralizer memer is closed andsaid locking means are engaged to hold said one coupling member from rotation so that a drill steel sectionl is rotatable relative to said one coupling member to release the joint between adjacent drill steel sections coupled by said one coupling member.

2. In a rock drill having a frame which supports a drill steel centralizer member having open and closed positions which 4is closed during'the starting of drilling to axially,

guide an elongated sectional drill steel the adjacent sections of which drill steel are joined together by coupling members, respectively, the improvement comprising, locking means on said centralizer member and cooperating locking means on said respective coupling members to' provide an interlock between the centralizer member and a selected one of said coupling members when said centralizer member is closed and said one coupling member` is moved axially so that said locking `means are engaged to hold said one Vcoupling member from rotation so that a drill steel section is rotatable relative Vto said one coupling provide an interlock between Ythe centralizer member and a' selected one of said coupling members when said centralizer member is closed and said locking means are engaged to hold said one coupling member from rotation so that a drill steel section is rotatable relative to said one coupling member to release the joint between adjacent drill steel sections coupled by said one coupling member,

land said interlocking means comprising lugs on one of 4 said members which are closely received within notches in the other of said members. i

4; In a rock drill having a frame which supports a drill steel centralizer member having open and closed positions which is closed during the starting of drilling to axially guide an elongated sectional drill steel the adjacent sections of which drill steel are joined together by coupling members, respectively, the improvement comprising, locking means on said centralizer member and cooperating locking means on said respective coupling members to provide an interlock between the centralizer member and a selected one of said coupling member when said centralizer member is closed and said locking means are engaged to hold said one coupling member from rotation so that a drill steel section is rotatable relative to said one coupling member to release the joint between adjacent drill steel sections coupled by said one coupling member, and said interlocking means comprising lugs on said centralizer member which are closely received within notches in said coupling members, respectively.

5. In a rock drill having a frame which supports a drill steel centralizer member having open and closed positions which is closed during the starting of drilling to axially guide an elongated sectional drill steel the adjacent sections of which drill steel are joined together by coupling members, respectively, the improvement cornprising, locking means on said centralizer member and cooperating locking means on said respective coupling members to provide an interlock between the centralizer member and a selected one ofsaid Vcoupling members when said centralizer member is closed and said locking means areengaged to hold said one coupling member from rotation so that a drill steel section is rotatable relative to said one coupling member to release the joint between adjacent drill steel sections coupled by said one coupling member, and said interlocking means comprising a polygonal socket in said centralizer member in which polygonal portions of said coupling members are received, respectively. Y

6. In a rock drill havinga frame, driving means for driving an elongated sectional drill steel the adjacent sections of which drill steel are joined together by coupling members, respectively, and which frame also supports a centralizermember spaced from such driving meansA for guiding such drill steel'which centralizer member has open andclosed positions the improvement comprising, locking means on said centralizer member and cooperating locking means on said respective coupling members to provide an interlock between the centralizar member anda selected one of said coupling .members when said centralizer member is closed and said locking means arc engaged to hold said one coupling member from rotation .so a drill steel section may be rotated relative to said one coupling member for releasing the jointV between adjacent drill steel sections coupled by said one couplingmember while said` rotated drill steel section remains at least partially in Vsupported engagement with said driving References Cited in the leof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS y642,587 Davis f Feb. 6, 198() 1,986,266. Hirschberg g`. v lan. l, li935 2,555,404 Fuehrer lune 5, 1951 2,675,997 Osgood Apr. 20, 1954 Lawrence et al. Oct, 8, i957 

